The invention relates to an operating device for an electrical appliance, preferably an electrical heating appliance such as a cooker.
DE 198 59 105 discloses an operating device for an electrical appliance having a type of magnetic sliding key. The sliding key is placed on a glass ceramic plate of a cooker and has a magnetic guide. By so-called keying, i.e. linear movements in different and in particular opposing directions, it is possible to release switching signals and therefore operate the electrical appliance. However, only a limited number of operating functions is possible.
The problem of the invention is to provide an operating device for an electrical appliance permitting further extensions to operating functionalities.
This problem is solved by an operating device having the features of claim 1. Advantageous and preferred developments of the invention form the subject matter of further claims and are described in greater detail hereinafter. By express reference the wording of the claims is made into part of the content of the description.
According to the invention the operating device and in particular the entire operating means, which can in particular assume the complete operation of at least one functional unit of the electrical appliance, has an operating unit with a rotary toggle. A rotary toggle has the advantage that radial position signals can be very readily differentiated. On generating a position signal as a function of a specific rotation, in the case of several rotations of the rotary toggle a randomly large number of position signals can be generated.
The rotary toggle is mounted so as to rotate on a bearing device forming part of the operating device. There are also signalling means with which, as a function of a position and/or a position change of the rotary toggle, signals can be generated. For processing said signals the operating device has a control mechanism. As a function thereof the electrical appliance or a functional unit thereof is influenced or controlled.
According to the invention, in addition to a rotary movement, the rotary toggle is movably mounted in at least one direction in such a way that it can perform a linear movement. For this purpose further signalling means are provided for detecting the linear movement of the rotary toggle and which can be converted into signals for the control mechanism.
Thus, a combined rotary-sliding toggle for operating an electrical appliance is created. It is advantageously possible by a linear or sliding movement in a specific direction to make a specific choice for a power scale or the like. This power scale can then be adjusted by a subsequent rotary movement. It is also possible by means of a rotary movement to pass or leaf through a menu. With a corresponding linear movement it is then possible to jump into a submenu or to perform a selection or confirmation.
According to a further development of the invention, the bearing device can be constructed in such a way that the operating unit is removably fixed to a cover of the electrical appliance. For this purpose a holding power is provided, which is preferably non-contacting or has an external power effect. Advantageously use is e.g. made of holding magnets, which can be provided in the bearing device and/or on the electrical appliance cover. With such a construction it is possible to remove the operating unit, e.g. for safety reasons. This also makes it possible to operate several electrical appliances with the same operating unit.
The rotary toggle can be rotated about a rotation axis and in particular a single rotation axis. A linear movement advantageously takes place substantially radially thereto. In particular, the bearing device is constructed in such a way that the rotary toggle is automatically reset following the performance of a linear movement or following release. As a result the rotary toggle more particularly and in particular exclusively can perform the rotary operation in one position, which is advantageously a middle or normal position.
In a particularly preferred development of the invention not only is the operating unit constructed so as to be removable from the cover, but this also applies to at least most of the bearing device. It is possible for the rotary toggle and bearing device to form a constructional unit or a separate operating unit. The latter can be fixed in different ways to a cover or the like of an electrical appliance and held there. It is merely necessary to either place the signalling means on the cover or, if they are also provided in the operating unit, to have a signal transmission from the operating unit to the electrical appliance. This can make it possible to bring about a simpler construction of the electrical appliance. The operating functionalities together with the detection of position signals are completely present in the operating device.
The bearing device can have a type of base plate or case, which can be fixed or engaged on the cover. The base plate is preferably fixed to the cover by external power action, which can be magnetically.
According to a further development of the invention it is possible for the rotary toggle to perform the linear movement relative to a base plate or mounting support of the bearing device. Alternatively or additionally it is possible for the rotary toggle and base plate to perform a linear movement with respect to the cover. Thus, the linear movement of the rotary toggle can take place either with respect to the base plate or, together with said base plate, with respect to the cover.
A guidance of the linear movement and in particular also the rotary movement can take place advantageously in contact-free manner by external power action, such as by magnetic power or force. Thus, such a guidance involves a certain expenditure. However, it has the advantage of being free from wear and of permitting a closed surface of the cover. Alternatively it is possible for certain variants of the invention to have guidance by mechanical guidance means.
Part of the signalling means are advantageously provided in the rotary toggle and can be a functional half of signalling means comprising at least two cooperating parts. Advantageously the signalling means or the other functional half of the signalling means can be located on the bearing device or on a base plate of the latter. It is also possible to provide the signalling means or the other functional half thereof below the cover. Rotary and linear movements can be detected by said signalling means.
According to a further development of the invention the operating unit can contain display means making it possible to display optical effects, operating parameters or settings. For this purpose lighting means can be provided on a display in order to draw the attention of the observer thereto.
In an embodiment of the invention a display can be provided in the rotary toggle. As the latter can be removed from the electrical appliance and is to have no electric lines or connections, the power transmission for the display means can have a transformer-like construction. For this purpose corresponding coils can be provided on the cover, as well as the rotary toggle or bearing device.
The signalling means can also have position determining means with which it is possible to determine a position, preferably also the rotation angle position of the rotary toggle relative to a reference point or dead centre of the cover. For this purpose they can have, particularly as in each case one functional half of the signalling means, at least one signalling or signal magnet and at least one magnetic field sensor or Hall sensor. Advantageously there are several magnetic field sensors, which can in each case detect one position change of a signalling magnet. The magnetic field sensors are advantageously located in the movement path of the rotary toggle or the corresponding signalling magnets.
To permit a clear detection of an operation of the rotary toggle as a linear operation, but so that it is appropriate for use, not too complicated or costly and can be readily detected, up to the release of a signal or up to a stop member, it should be shorter than the radius of the rotary toggle or the extension of the latter in the operating direction. This makes it possible to leave the dead centre of the rotary toggle, which is advantageously used as the point predetermining the linear operation, within the extension of the rotary toggle in the inoperative position.
These and further features can be gathered from the claims, description and drawings and the individual features, both singly and in the form of subcombinations, can be implemented in an embodiment of the invention and in other fields and can represent advantageous, independently protectable constructions for which protection is claimed here. The subdivision of the application into individual sections and the subheadings in no way restricts the general validity of the statements made thereunder.